 Fy-Eye: August 2019 |
Upcoming Events Thursday, September 19 4:00-7:00 PM Racine Zoo Friday, September 20 5:25 PM Donation event. Space is limited, register today! Upcoming Trainings View the Children’s Vision Screener Training Schedule August Newsletter Articles Promoting Sight-Saving Work in D.C. Eyes on Capital Hill: Advocating for a lifetime of Healthy Vision Volunteers Preparing for a Spectacular Year Congratulations Lions Vision Screening Chairs August is Children’s Health & Safety Awareness Month Prevent Blindness Wisconsin Apparel About Us Founded in 1958, Prevent Blindness Wisconsin improves the lives of children, adults, and families through early detection of eye conditions to prevent blindness and preserve sight. On-going vision screening activities and state-wide public health education lead to a lifetime of healthy vision. wisconsin.preventblindness.org
Support Prevent Blindness Wisconsin Support Prevent Blindness Wisconsin throughout the year by holding an event in our honor at your work, school or church. Some ideas include: – Jeans Day – Dedicate your birthday – Bake sale Please contact Bridget at [email protected] for PBW marketing materials. |
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Thank you to all who supported Lizzy’s Walk on Wednesday, July 31. It was an exciting evening with 262 registered walkers, 15 sponsors, kids’ activities, a walk along the Hank Aaron Trail and more! The event is expected to raise $22,000 to support free certified vision screenings for children, like Lizzy, across the state. It’s not too late to make a gift in Lizzy’s honor in support of children’s healthy vision. See more photos from the night on Facebook! Read our feature by Fox 6 News. We look forward to seeing you in 2020 for Ellie’s Walk!
Promoting Sight-Saving Work in Washington D.C. This past July, Prevent Blindness Wisconsin had the wonderful opportunity to travel to Washington D.C. and present to the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on our successes with the Adult Vision Health Program. The Adult Vision Health Program was funded by NACDD and cultivated a partnership between Prevent Blindness Wisconsin, the City of Milwaukee’s Public Health Department Well Woman Program, and the Milwaukee Consortium for Hmong Health. This program provided adult vision screenings, vision health education, and thorough follow-up to ensure at-risk adults are seeking regular, needed vision care. Currently, 40 adults have received a dilated eye exam through this program and life-long vision health habits are beginning to be formed. After attending a WISEWOMAN vision health education workshop, a client said, “I didn’t know what dilation was and that it’s available. Next time, I am going to ensure I ask for my eyes to be dilated.” NACDD and additional funded partners in the room were amazed at the impact the Adult Vision Health Program has made in the Milwaukee community in four short months. We would like to thank the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors and Prevent Blindness for this incredible opportunity; without your guidance and funding, this program would not be possible. We would also like to thank our partners, the Milwaukee Public Health Department Well Woman Program and the Milwaukee Consortium for Hmong Health. Your determination and perseverance for your clients has greatly contributed to the success of this program. Read our success stories from this program:
“Thank you so much for the screening and for your help. My eye exam and new glasses help me read small print, especially at my English class. I was really excited to learn from the doctor how my eyes’ health is. I am able to study and focus so much better now.” – Law “Your vision screening and voucher program helped me get an eye exam and a pair of glasses. I am now happy and excited to go to work. My glasses make my work so much easier. They also help me see and study at my English class better too.” – Poe “Your vision screening and help have allowed me to receive an eye exam, get glasses, and understand where my vision health is. I am now able to do everyday things. I can see the road and sidewalk so much more clearly. Thank you for everything.” – Khu Eyes on Capital Hill: Advocating for a Lifetime of Healthy Vision Our team partook in Prevent Blindness’s Eyes on Capitol Hill Advocacy Day in Washington D.C. to promote and advocate for vision health services in Wisconsin and throughout the United States. The advocacy day consisted of lobbying to delegates of Wisconsin for the support and promotion of preventative vision health programming in Wisconsin for residents of all ages. Our advocacy team representation consisted of Michelle Reed, board member and mother of Prevent Blindness Wisconsin’s 2017-2018 Preschool Vision Screening Ambassador, Addisyn; Rebecca Lubar, a current summer office intern and previous Prevent Blindness Wisconsin preschool vision screening success story; and Courtney Murphy, a Prevent Blindness Wisconsin Community Health Manager. Visits were made to the offices of Senator Ron Johnson, Representative Glenn Grothman, Representative Bryan Steil, Representative Gwen Moore, Representative Mark Pocan, and Senator Tammy Baldwin. Thank you to Sara Brown, Director of Government Affairs–Prevent Blindness for all your hard work and diligence to make this day possible. We would also like to thank Michelle Reed and Rebecca Lubar for joining our team and sharing your stories—we are very fortunate for all of your support!
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Volunteers Preparing for a Spectacular Year If you are currently a Prevent Blindness Wisconsin Volunteer Vision Screener and in need of re-certification or are a new volunteer interested in becoming certified, please attend a training this fall to become certified on the Eyecheck and Snellen/Sloan chart. Sign up for one of our volunteer vision screener trainings. Community volunteers should register for any training titled “Children’s Vision Screener Training for Volunteers.” If you have any questions please contact April at [email protected].
Back to School Vision Screening is Around The Corner With summer winding down, it’s time to make sure you are ready to vision screen this fall. Please register for one of our upcoming trainings to become certified or renew your certification (certification lasts for 3 years). If you need new supplies, now is the time to place an order. Our vision screening toolkits contain many great resources to ensure your vision screening runs smoothly. For any other questions, please contact Shelby at [email protected]. Sign up for one of our upcoming Children’s Vision Screener Trainings. If you have questions or if you would like to schedule a training, please contact Shelby at [email protected].
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Congratulations to the New Wisconsin Lions Vision Screening Chairs! Congratulations to all new and returning Lion and Lioness Vision Screening Chairs! We are so grateful to collaborate with your organization to provide much needed vision screenings throughout the state. Our Lion/Lioness Vision Screening toolkit has wonderful resources for planning your vision screenings. If you would like to schedule a training for your district or club, please contact Shelby at [email protected].
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Harborfest Join us at Harborfest, a celebration of nonprofits in Racine and Kenosha county. This free family-friendly event will be held on Thursday, September 19th from 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm at the Racine Zoo. Harborfest is a great way to learn more about Prevent Blindness Wisconsin and the other organizations offering services in these counties. Healium Hot Yoga Grassroot Fundraiser
Looking for a fun way to support Prevent Blindness Wisconsin? Join us Friday, September 20th at 5:45 PM for a donation all-levels yoga class at Healium Hot Yoga. All proceeds go to Prevent Blindness Wisconsin and donations range from $5-20. Space is limited, register today! Share our event on Facebook. |
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Prevent Blindness Wisconsin is proud and honored to announce it has been awarded a grant from the Menasha Corporation Foundation to support our sight-saving services. Thank you Menasha Corporation Foundation for supporting the Children’s Vision Screening Program which brings the future into focus for more than 6,000 children in Winnebago County! |
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August is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Awareness Month Healthy vision is vital for a child’s mental, social, and physical development. Nationwide, 1 in 4 school-aged children and 1 in 20 preschool-aged children has a vision problem that if left untreated, may result in irreversible vision loss. Your child needs healthy vision to bring their future into focus and you can help. Ensure your child has healthy vision through their regular well-child checkups and by taking them to the eye doctor after a vision screening referral.
Refractive Errors (Myopia, Hyperopia, and Astigmatism): Occur when the shape of the eye effects how light focuses on the retina (the back of the eye). The length of the eyeball and the shape of the cornea and lens can cause refractive errors. Refractive errors can be treated with a pair of glasses. Myopia (Nearsightedness): Causes objects far away to appear blurry, but objects up close are seen clearly. Due to the increase in digital device usage, the number of cases of myopia are significantly increasing. By 2050, it is expected half of the world population will be myopic.
Hyperopia (Farsightedness): Causes objects up close to appear blurry, while objects far away are seen clearly.
Astigmatism: Is an abnormal curve in the cornea, causing objects far and near to appear blurry.
Amblyopia and Strabismus: Severe vision problems that can cause permanent vision loss if not caught early and treated properly. Amblyopia (also known as ‘Lazy Eye’): With amblyopia, the vision in one eye is weak because the eye and the brain are not working together properly. The eye looks normal, but is not being used normally because the brain is favoring the other eye. Catching and treating amblyopia early is very important and can save a child’s sight, preventing permanent vision loss.
Strabismus (also known as ‘Crossed Eye’): With strabismus, the eyes are not straight or do not line up with each other. If the problem is not treated, it can cause amblyopia. Strabismus can be treated with a pair of glasses, or in some cases, surgery. If you notice your child’s eyes do not line up correctly, your child needs to see an eye doctor
What can I do to protect my child’s vision? ABC’s of Vision Health The ABC’s of vision health are warning signs to watch for as a child grows and develops through their adolescence. If you notice any of the ABC’s, make an appointment with your child’s eye doctor. A: Appearance: the look of the child’s eyes. B: Behavior: how the child is behaving and reacting. C: Complaints: what the child says about their eyes and vision. Learn more about the ABC’s of vision health. Make sure their eyes are vision and school ready! Interested in becoming a volunteer children’s vision screener? Please contact Breanna at [email protected] or 414-765-0505 Ext. 108 for more information. Prevent Blindness Wisconsin Apparel Support Prevent Blindness Wisconsin and our sight-saving services when you purchase our apparel. Run a campaign at your school, church, or volunteer group. Order your shirts to wear for World Sight Day on Thursday, October 10th.
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Prevent Blindness Wisconsin makes the world a brighter place for children and adults across Wisconsin through our sight-saving vision health services. You can give the gift of healthy vision by joining the 20/20 Monthly Giving Challenge. Celebrate the year 2020 – the year of healthy vision – by becoming a monthly donor to help Prevent Blindness Wisconsin achieve its vision for each Wisconsin resident to have healthy vision at every stage of life! An investment of $20 per month provides one Certified Vision Screening for a child or adult, helping them take the first step on the path to healthy vision for life. Will you accept our challenge to make a gift of $20 per month for 20 months and help 20 individuals improve their vision health? Special Events Intern Prevent Blindness Wisconsin is looking for a volunteer Special Events and Communications Intern to assist in the planning of our three annual events as well as other events and development duties that include: auction solicitation, sponsor recognition, and newsletter creation. For more information, please email Bridget at [email protected]. Interns Interns are needed all year-round! If you are interested in learning about Prevent Blindness Wisconsin’s internship opportunities, please contact Breanna at [email protected].
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Your support allows us to carry out our vision for each Wisconsin resident to have healthy vision at every stage of life. Thank you!
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